Page 10 - History Brief - Heaphys

Redditch Heritage Heapheys

George Jnr. and his wife Sarah, had six children, three boys and three girls. Sarah died
when their eldest son, Fritz was only twelve. He promised his mother that he would look
after the girls and he did, assisted by a housekeeper until one of the daughters, Tot, was
old enough to run the household. Apparently, Tot ruled with a steel hand, insisting on a
strict regime and not allowed any lax behaviour.

The Next Generation

By the time George Jnr. died in 1899 the company was making regular deliveries as far
afield as Handsworth and Weatheroak. Fritz took over the company and although they
had purchased a little game cart from Hewell Grange the previous year Fritz made most
of the deliveries on his bicycle. Fritz was very popular with the ladies, he would visit a
different female friend each evening during the week talking a piece of fish, and the lady
would cook it for him. However, he remained a bachelor

At the height of the 1930's depression, Cyril Nash joined the company. Fritz was wearing
old-fashioned clothes and Mr Nash taught him how to dress. The shop was redesigned
and extended and the basement converted into a showroom.

One day, a policeman called in at the shop for a chat, and said to Cyril, 'Have you seen
the smasher that's just started at Huins shoe shop?' so Cyril called in at Huins for a pair
of shoelaces to view the new arrival. A few days later, the 'smasher', Margot, went to the
local cinema on her own. Cyril seized his opportunity and sat next to her. from there, the
romance blossomed and they were married in 1938. Cyril tools over the company on
Fritz's death in 1952.

Into The New Town Era

Margot Nash, who was company director for 39 years now takes up the story:

"When my husband started at the company they supplied boys and girls clothing for 37
local Redditch schools. Thirteen thousand price tags were sewn on to garments by hand.
There were displays at every school with the new intake, when all the stock and props
had to be carried from school to school. In 1936 the company was joined by Mr Farr who
stayed with us until he retired.

'Everything was bought several months before the season. Trousers and knitwear for the
autumn would be bought in the spring term. With all the schools, it would be blazers,
tunics, gym tunics, summer dresses and trousers. You had to estimate what you would
sell. It was all very exciting. We had our records to look back on, but the great thing was
experience, with some intuition. If anything was left we would have a summer sale but
that wasn't important to us financially, our stock was so well-run. Cyril used to say that
stock well-kept is stock well sold.

Everything was bought from the manufacturer, we measured for suits and we bought in
socks, ties, working overalls, and all the Christmas things such as boxes of
handkerchiefs. However, I wouldn't like to go into today's fashion wear."

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